Roll-up water bottle with closure/filter assembly

ABSTRACT

A roll-up water bottle comprises a hollow cylindrical opening adjacent one end thereof. The opening retains a removable closure/filter assembly. That assembly includes a filter retained within a bottle cap. The cap is positioned within a bottle opening support member retained within the hollow cylindrical opening. The filter housing is generally cylindrical but also includes an outer profile that includes a pair of opposed flat walls. When the filter is secured within the bottle cap and the cap secured within the bottle opening support member, a pair of water flow channels are created. Upon the user applying suction or pressure from squeezing the bottle, water contained with the bottle flows through vent openings in the filter, but also up through the water flow channels. The result is a more even distribution of fluid across a greater portion of the filter.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The subject matter herein relates generally to drinking containers, such as water bottles.

2. Background of the Related Art

A water bottle is a container, typically formed of plastic, to hold water or other beverages for consumption. It is designed for easy transport by an individual, and it may be disposable or reusable. Some water bottles include filtration systems or filter mechanisms to improve water quality, or to provide acceptable quality for the source liquid that may include water-borne contaminants or pathogens. Such filters may be supported in a removable straw-type arrangement for ease of cleaning and replacement. Typically, a filter of this type uses carbon material, such as activated charcoal, as the active filtering material. Representative bottles of this type are available commercially under the brands Camelbak® and Brita®, among others.

While filtration bottles of this type are useful, the filter system/mechanism typically extends throughout the length of the bottle housing. As a result, these types of container systems have to be used in large-size bottles, and they are not flexible enough to be adapted for use for containers that may have different use requirements, or wherein it is desired to provide for a filter in a bottle that may be rolled-up and stored.

BRIEF SUMMARY

A roll-up water or “sport” bottle comprises a container formed of a pair of opposed, matching plastic pieces. The pieces are sealed around the majority of their edges to form a substantially sealed container having a hollow cylindrical opening adjacent one end thereof. An opposed end forms a bottom. An outer edge portion of the bottle retains one or more pairs of opposed button-style fasteners, with each pair selectively positioned to mate with one another when the bottle is rolled-up. When the bottle is empty (or substantially empty), it may be rolled-up for transport and storage. The opposed button-style fasteners secure rolled-up portions of the container. The opening retains a removable closure/filter assembly. That assembly preferably includes a filter adapted to be removably-retained within a bottle cap of the closure. The bottle cap is positioned within a bottle opening support member retained within the hollow cylindrical opening of the roll-up bottle. Preferably, the filter housing is generally cylindrical but also includes an outer profile that includes a pair of opposed flat walls. When the filter is secured within the bottle cap and the cap secured within the bottle opening support member, a pair of water flow channels are created. Upon the user applying suction or pressure from squeezing the bottle, water contained with the bottle flows through vent openings in the filter, but also up through the water flow channels. The result is a more even distribution of fluid across a greater portion of the filter.

The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent features of the subject disclosure. These features should be construed to be merely illustrative. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed subject matter in a different manner or by modifying the subject matter as will be described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the subject disclosure and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the roll-up bottle of this disclosure according to a first embodiment (an open configuration in which the bottle is adapted to be filled with a liquid, such as water);

FIG. 2 is a front view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a back view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a right side view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a left side view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the roll-up bottle according to a second embodiment (having a closure/filter assembly);

FIG. 9 is a front view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a back view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a right side view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a left side view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 8;

FIG. 13 is a top view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 8;

FIG. 14 is a bottom view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 8.

FIG. 15 is another perspective view of the roll-up bottle according to the second embodiment (having the closure/filter assembly);

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the roll-up bottle according to the first embodiment in a rolled-up configuration for transport and storage;

FIG. 17 is a front view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a back view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a right side view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 16;

FIG. 20 is a left side view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 16;

FIG. 21 is a top view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 16;

FIG. 22 is a bottom view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 16;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the roll-up bottle according to the second embodiment in a full rolled-up configuration;

FIG. 24 is a front view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a back view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 23;

FIG. 26 is a right side view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 23;

FIG. 27 is a left side view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 23;

FIG. 28 is a top view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 23;

FIG. 29 is a bottom view of the roll-up bottle of FIG. 23;

FIG. 30 is a view of the bottle in the orientation shown in FIG. 2 with one opposed piece of the molded container removed and showing further details of a preferred configuration;

FIG. 31 illustrates components of the closure portion of the closure/filter assembly;

FIG. 32 illustrates a filter supported within the bottle cap;

FIG. 33 illustrates a position of the filter relative to the bottle opening support member showing a pair of water flow channels created by the structural arrangement of the closure/filter assembly;

FIG. 34 illustrates a top/plan view of the structural arrangement shown in FIG. 33;

FIG. 35 illustrates the filter, partially cutaway, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 36 illustrates the filter along a view of lines A-A in FIG. 35;

FIG. 37 illustrates the filter along a view of lines B-B in FIG. 35; and

FIG. 38 illustrates the filter along a view of lines C-C in FIG. 35.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the roll-up bottle 100 according to a first embodiment (an open configuration in which the bottle is adapted to be filled with a liquid, such as water). FIGS. 2-7 show the bottle 100 of FIG. 1 in various views.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the roll-up bottle 100 according to a second embodiment having a closure/filter assembly 102, as will be described. FIGS. 9-14 show the bottle of FIG. 8 in various views. FIG. 15 is another perspective view of the roll-up bottle according to the second embodiment having the closure/filter assembly.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the roll-up bottle 100 (of FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment but in a full rolled-up configuration, e.g., for transport and storage. In this configuration, typically the roll-up bottle will be devoid or substantially devoid of liquid. FIGS. 17-22 show the bottle of FIG. 16 in various views.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the roll-up bottle 100 according to the second embodiment (having the closure/filter assembly 102) in the full rolled-up configuration. FIGS. 24-29 show the bottle of FIG. 23 in various views. In FIGS. 23-28, a covering cap is removed to illustrate a structural configuration of a conventional pull-top.

Without meant to be limiting, the roll-up bottle 100 as described herein preferably is formed of a plastic material, such as BPA-free polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, bioplastics (e.g., PLA), and the like. Without meant to be limiting, the roll-up bottle may be formed to hold various volumes of fluid, such as 8, 16 and 22 ounces. In one preferred configuration, the bottle has an elongated form approximately 250 millimeters in height, and 135 millimeters in width.

Preferably, and as seen in FIG. 1, the roll-up bottle 100 comprises a container formed of a pair of opposed, matching plastic pieces or parts that are molded together using a mold. The pieces are sealed around their outer edges 105 to form a substantially sealed container having a hollow cylindrical-shaped opening 104 adjacent an upper portion 106 thereof. An opposed end forms a sealed bottom 108.

FIG. 30 is a view of the bottle in the orientation shown in FIG. 2 showing further details of this configuration. This is open (filled or partially filled) configuration. In this view, one of two of the opposed matching pieces is removed. As can be seen, the remaining piece 110 has an elongated form that resembles a pitcher. The opening 104 adjacent the upper portion is approximately 90 millimeters in length, and it is positioned at an approximate 45° angle relative to a line 112 that bisects a top 114. The edge 105 extends substantially around the entire outer portion of the piece and comprises a top section 116, and first, second, third and fourth outwardly-extending tabs 118, 120, 122 and 124. Top section 116 includes an opening 126 for receiving a clip, such as a carabiner or other such fastener (not shown) for fastening the rolled-up bottle to the user's belt of the like). Each tab supports one element of a fastener, such as a snap fastener with male and female portions. Thus, for example, the snap fastener tabs 119 and 125 are designed to mate with one another, as are tabs 121 and 123. The snap fasteners can be seen in FIG. 9 (in the open configuration), and in FIG. 18 (in the closed or rolled-up configuration). While snap-style fasteners are preferred, this is not a limitation and any style fastener may be used to secure the mating tab portions. As also illustrated in FIG. 30, preferably the tab configurations have particular angular orientations as shown.

Thus, the outer edge portion of the bottle retains one or more pairs of opposed button-style fasteners. When the bottle is empty, it may be rolled-up for transport storage such as seen in FIGS. 16-18 (with the filter/closure assembly removed) or as seen in FIGS. 23-26 (with the filter/closure assembly present). The opposed button-style fasteners secure rolled-up tab portions of the container as described.

FIGS. 8-15 also show the closure/filter assembly positioned in the bottle; FIGS. 23-28 shown the closure/filter assembly with the covering cap omitted, as described above.

FIG. 31 illustrates the structural details of the closure components of the closure/filter assembly. These components include bottle opening support member 130, bottle cap 132, mouthpiece 134, and an optional protective cap 136. The bottle opening support member 130 is fitted into the hollow cylindrical-shaped opening 104 (see, e.g., FIG. 1) formed when the opposed, matching plastic pieces or parts are molded together. Bottle cap 132 is secured over the bottle opening support member 130, and mouthpiece 134 is fitted into the bottle cap, all in a known manner. FIG. 8 illustrates the protective cap 136 snapped into a closed position to cover the cap and mouthpiece. When the protective cap 136 is opened, the user can open the mouthpiece to access the stored liquid.

Preferably, the bottle cap 132 supports a filter (shown in phantom here) 138 as illustrated in FIG. 32. In particular, the bottle cap 132 includes an internal receiving cylinder 140 that includes a retaining flange 142 adapted to receive a corresponding threading 144 in the filter mechanism 138. The filter mechanism is threadably-secured within the bottle cap and removably-retained there.

FIG. 33 illustrates the positioning of the filter 138 (shown in phantom, and partially exploded) relative to the bottle opening support member 130, with the bottle cap 132 omitted. FIG. 34 is a plan view illustrating a pair of water flow channels 146 that are present when the filter (as fitted into the bottle cap) is retained within the bottle opening support member 130. This structural arrangement provides significant advantages. In particular, and as will be described below, by creating a profile on the outer wall of the cylinder (of the filter), two flat walled surfaces 148 a and 148 b on opposing sides of the outer wall of the filter housing are created; the result is a unique contour of the filter housing allowing for the passage of fluid (water in this case) between the channels 146 created between the flat outer wall portion of the filter housing and the round surface of the inner wall of the bottle opening support member. Upon the user applying suction or pressure from squeezing the bottle (or any combination thereof), water contained within the bottle will flow to and through vent openings within unobstructed walls of the filter cage (as will be described below), but also up through the designed channels 146 of the flat portion of the outer walls of the filter housing. The water then spreads out across the vent openings that might otherwise be mostly obstructed in the portion of the filter cage that is in close proximity to the molded bottle opening piece. The result is a more even distribution of fluid across a greater portion of the inner filter's material than if the flat channel structural arrangement were not applied. Because of this improved flow, the filter material can fill the inside of the cage (wall-to-wall).

FIG. 35 illustrates a view of the filter, partially cutaway, showing a preferred structural configuration. The filter comprises a filter housing 150 with the threading 144 on its upper neck portion. The filter housing includes vents 152 opening into the interior of the housing and through which fluid flows in an out an opening 154 in the top 155 of the housing (shown exploded). Filter material 156 is positioned within the housing, and it is porous or packed in such a manner to allow liquids to pass through the filter while trapping impurities. The filter material may be of varying types. A representative filter material 156 is an activated charcoal suspended in a non-woven mesh. In a variant, the filter material 156 is an activated charcoal suspended in an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal mesh. Other types of filter material(s) may be used. As described, the liquid enters the filter housing through vents (or other similar types of openings) 152 molded in a side wall of the filter housing. The filter material may be accessed (and thus replaced as desired or necessary) by removing the filter from the bottle, and then removing a bottom cap 158. FIGS. 36-38 show various views of the filter housing along lines A-A, B-B and C-C in FIG. 35. FIG. 37 in particular shows the flat walled surfaces 148 a and 148 b described above and that facilitate the formation of the exterior water flow channels 146. As previously described, by creating a profile on the outer wall of the cylinder that results in surfaces 148 a and 148 b on the opposing sides of the outer wall of the filter housing, the contour of the filter housing enables passage of fluid between the filter housing, on the one hand, and the round surface of the inner wall of the bottle opening support member, on the other hand. Applied suction/pressure draws water both through the vents 152 of the filter cage, but also up through these channels. As described, the result is a much more even distribution of fluid across a greater portion of the filter material 156.

Although a pair of channels 146 are shown in the above-described embodiment, the structural arrangement may include just one channel, or more than two channels, depending on the outer profile of the outer wall of the otherwise generally cylindrical) filter housing.

Without meant to be limiting, the molded portion of the bottle may be formed of different colored material. The outer surfaces of one or more of the pieces may include other indicia or graphics. 

Having described my invention, what I now claim is as follows:
 1. A bottle, comprising: a body forming a substantially sealed container having a hollow cylindrical opening adjacent one end thereof, and an opposed end forming a bottom; a removable closure/filter assembly received and supported in the hollow cylindrical opening, the removable closure/filter assembly comprising a bottle opening support member received in the hollow cylindrical opening in the body and having an inner cylindrical wall, a bottle cap, and a filter, the filter being removably-retained with the bottle cap, the filter having a generally cylindrical outer wall with a first flat surface along a portion thereof, the flat surface in association with an inner cylindrical wall of the bottle opening support member forming a first water flow channel when the closure/filter assembly is received and supported in the body.
 2. The bottle as described in claim 1 wherein the generally cylindrical outer wall of the filter has a second flat surface opposed from the first flat surface to form a second water flow channel opposite the first water flow channel.
 3. The bottle as described in claim 1 wherein the body comprises a pair of opposed, matching pieces, the opposed, matching pieces being sealed about their edges to form a substantially sealed container having the hollow cylindrical opening adjacent one end thereof, and the opposed end forming a bottom.
 4. The bottle as described in claim 3 wherein the body further includes: an edge extending substantially around an entire outer portion of each piece and comprises at least first and second outwardly-extending tabs positioned relative to each other and supporting first and second fastener elements, the first and second fastener elements adapted to mate with one another and maintain the bottle in a rolled-up configuration.
 5. The bottle as described in claim 3 wherein the body is formed of a plastic material.
 6. The bottle as described in claim 5 wherein the plastic material is one of: BPA-free polypropylene, polyethylene or polyethylene terephthalate, and a bioplastic.
 7. The bottle as described in claim 1 wherein the filter includes a filter material.
 8. The bottle as described in claim 7 wherein the filter material is an activated charcoal suspended in a non-woven mesh.
 9. The bottle as described in claim 7 wherein the filter material is suspended in an anti-bacterial, anti-fungal mesh.
 10. The bottle as described in claim 1 wherein the filter includes a housing that includes a plurality of vents.
 11. A roll-up water bottle, comprising: a body comprising a substantially sealed container having a hollow cylindrical opening adjacent one end thereof, and an opposed end forming a bottom, an edge extending substantially around an entire outer portion and comprising at least first and second outwardly-extending tabs positioned relative to each other and supporting first and second fastener elements, the first and second fastener elements adapted to mate with one another and maintain the bottle in a rolled-up configuration when not in use; a removable closure/filter assembly received and supported in the hollow cylindrical opening when the bottle is not in use or when filled with water, the assembly supporting a support structure, and a filter having a filter housing, the filter housing including openings molded in a side wall, wherein liquid retained in the roll-up bottle is adapted to enter the filter via the openings when suction is applied or the body is squeezed; wherein the filter housing has an outer contour adapted to allow for passage of liquid between an outer walled portion of the filter housing and a rounded surface of an inner wall of the support structure when suction is applied or the body is squeezed. 